Clarinet



March 10, 1936. A. LO OMIS 2,033,772

CLARINET Original Filed March 20, 1933 iNVENTOR memf BY foul L6 WWATTORNEY Patented Mar. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLARINETIndiana Refile for abandoned application Serial No.

661,676, March 20, 1933.

This application July 27, 1934, Serial No. 737,306

11 Claims.

This invention relates to wind instruments of the clarinet type althoughcertain parts of the invention are susceptible of general application towind musical instruments of other types.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved bearing mount forthe key shafts of a wind instrument.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bearing mount for keyshafts which will function without binding when the shafts becomedistorted or bent, or the bearings themselves become disaligned throughaccident.

Another object is to provide a key shaft bearing construction which willbe readily adjustable to take up wear and insure silence of operation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a. new method ofinstalling key shaft hearing posts in the body of a wind instrument andto lock the same against turning movement.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent as the specification proceeds.

In the drawing, in which the invention is shown as applied to a sopranoBoehm clarinet,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a clarinet embodying theinvention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View taken on the line2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly insection of the key mecha-- nism and is taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Figure 7 is a vertical section taken on line 'I---! of Fig. 6;

Figure 8 is a transverse section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1;

Figure 9 is a transverse section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1;

Figure 10 is a plan view of the key shown in Fig. 9;

Figure 11 is a section taken on the line ll-ll of Fig. 10; and

Figure 12 is a plan view of the key shown in Fig. 7.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals refer tolike parts throughout the same, the numeral I indicates the body of aclarinet which is substantially cylindrical and which is formed in twosections joined together at 2 in a conventional manner.

In the drawing, in order to avoid confusion, only such keys and toneholes have been shown which are necessary to illustrate the invention.The conventional springs which serve to sustain the respective keys inthe positions shown have also been omitted. The respective keys aremounted upon key shafts or hinge rods 3 which are in the form of solidrods supported between bearing posts 4 mounted in opposed relation on'the outer surface of the instrument.

The bearing posts shown more clearly in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 comprise athreaded stem 5 which is screwed into the wood and which depends from abase 6 upon which is mounted a ball end or head 1 which is drilled andthreaded for the reception of a pivot screw 8 formed with a conoidalbearing end 9 for engagement within the end of the hinged key shaft 3.The key shafts have their ends reamed out as shown in Fig. 4 to providea straight tapered or conoidal hole IO within which the conoidal bearing9 rests. A set screw l I, engaging the screw 8 serves to lock the latteragainst displacement.

The operation and advantage of the novel key shafts bearing mount isillustrated in Fig. 4 which has been slightly exaggerated for thepurpose of clearness. During the use of a clarinet, or other likeinstrument, it is quite common for one or more of the hinged key shaftsto become bent or sprung, thus throwing the reamed ends out of line witheach other.

In previously used structures this would result in a binding at thebearings and very often a breakage of the parts. On the other hand thebearing posts themselves may become twisted or bent, in which event thebearing screws would become disaligned and cause trouble. Suchdisalignment of the parts is automatically taken care of with thepresent construction due to the conoidal hearing so that if the shaftbecomes bent while the screws 8 remain in alignment, the relative motionwill be about the axis I 2, whereas, if the screws get out of alignment,the movement will be about the axis [3. Ready adjustability of the pivotscrew 8 compensates for the smaller bearing contact due to the conoidalbearmg.

In order to prevent turning of the bearing posts 4, and to insure properalignment of the opposed bearing screws carried by the respective pairsthereof, I have devised an improved method of installing these posts anda means for locking them in position. In installing the bearing posts,

Cir

a hole I4 is drilled into the wooden body and is then counterbored androuted out at [5 to the shape of the outline of Fig. 3. The stem 5 isthen screwed into the bore l4 until the base 6 is firmly seated in thecounterbore l5, and then the head I is drilled and tapped for thereception of the pivot screw 8 and set screw II and is faced on one sideto clear the end of the key shaft. The bearing post is then removed andflat surfaces l6 are milled or filed on either side of the base 6 soasto shape the same to fit snugly into the jaws of a notched locking plateI1, the latter being of a shape to fit within the countersink l5.

The bearing post is then screwed into the clarinet body and the lockplate I! is inserted into the countersink with the jaws thereof snuglyfitting the flat sides N5 of the base 6. A screw 18 serves to securelyfasten the lock plate in position. The angle between the flat faces IEon the base of the bearing post may be varied, or the base of the postmay be notched for the reception of a tongue on the locking platewithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

With further reference to the key shaft and shaft bearing structureillustrated in Figures 2 and 4 it will be apparent that the .greatadvantage therein inheres in the combination conoidal bearing-screwpoint 9 and the combination therewith of the straight tapered key shaftbore l0, and to a lesser degree in any equivalent thereof, such as, forexample, the combination of a perfect conoidal bearing screwpoint with akey shaft bore which is bell-mounted and provided with a curved tapernotillustrated. In the practical application of my improved key shaftbearing the point 9 of the screw 8 engages the surface of the shaft boreH) at a relatively narrow surface band thereof with clearance throughoutthe remainder of the overlapping portion thereof, said clearanceincreasing in degree, or amount, as the distance from the contact bandincreases.

While a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated anddescribed, and while it is shown as appliedto a particular type ofclarinet, which has a non-metallic body, it will be understood thatvarious modifications in construction may be resorted to, or that theinvention may be applied tooth'er'instruments without departing from thespirit of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

-1. In a key shaft construction for musical instruments, the combinationof a key shaft having a conical bore in each end thereof, a bearing postmounted on the body of the instrument adjacent each end of said shaft,an a'bearing screw mounted in each of said bearing posts having conoidalend portions fol-engaging in the conical bores in the ends of said keyshaft.

2. In a key shaft mounting for wind instruments, a pair of bearing postsmounted in spaced relation on the body of said instrument, a bearingscrew adjustably mounted in each of said posts, said screws being formedwith conoidal bearing ends in opposed relation, and a key shaft mountedbetween said posts, said key shaft having a conical bore formed in eachend thereof for the reception of said conoidal end portions of saidbearing screws.

3. A structure according to claim 2, and said bearing screws having aplain cylindrical surface formed intermediate the ends thereof, and aset screw threaded into said bearing post and engaging said cylindricalsurface.

4. A bearing post for key shafts of wind instruments comprising a stemthreaded into the body of said instrument, a base having a flattenedportion on opposite sides thereof, said instrument having an elongatedcountersunk portion for receiving said base at one end thereof, and alocking plate filling the remainder of said countersink, said platehaving a notch at one end thereof shaped to the contour of said base andhaving jaws engaging the flat sides thereof.

5. In a key shaft construction for wind musical instruments, thecombination of a bearing post mounted on the body of the instrument, akey shaft provided with a tapered bore in one end thereof, and a bearingscrew adjustably mounted in said bearing post, said bearing screw beingprovided with a tapered point which engages the surface of said keyshaft tapered bore at a narrow surface band thereof and having clearancethroughout the remainder of the overlapping portion, said clearanceincreasing in amount as the distance from said band increases.

6. In a key shaft and key shaft bearing construction for wind musicalinstruments, the combination of a bearing post provided with a stemwhich is threaded into the body of the instrument, said stem beingprovided with a base portion having a flattened portion on oppositesides thereof, the body of said instrument having an elongatedcountersunk portion for receiving said base at one end thereof, alocking plate filling the remainder of said body countersink, said platehaving a notch at one end thereof shaped to the contour of said base andhaving jaws engaging the flat sides thereof, a bearing screw adjustablymounted in said bearing post and provided with a conoidal end, and a keyshaft provided with a conoidal bore in one end thereof which is arrangedadjacent said bearing post, said key shaft conoidal bore being engagedby the conoidal point of said bearing screw.

7. In a keyshaft and key shaft bearing construction for wind musicalinstruments, the combination of a bearing post provided witha stem whichis threaded into the body of the instrument, said stem being providedwith a base portion having a flattened portion on opposite sidesthereof, the body of said instrument having an elongated countersunkportion for receiving said base at one end thereof, a locking platesecured in the remainder of said body countersink, said plate having anotch which is shaped to the contour of said base and provided with jawsin engagement with the flat sides of said stem base, a bearing screwadjustably mounted in said bearing post and provided with a conoidalend, and a key shaft having its end arranged adjacent said bearing post,said key shaft end being provided with a tapered bore, thesurface ofsaid key shaft bore being engaged by said bearing screw conoidal end ata narrow surface band thereof andhaving clearance throughout theremainder of the overlapping ortion, said clearance increasing in amountas the distance from said band increases.

8. In a key shaft construction for musical instruments, the combinationof a key shaft having a conicalbore in one end thereof, a bearing postmounted on the body of the instrument adjacent one end of said shaft,and a bearing screw mounted in said bearing post having a conoidal endportion for engaging in said key shaft conical bore.

9. In a key shaft construction for musical instruments, the combinationof a bearing post pin connection between said shaft and post to effect arocking movement of said shaft.

11. In a key shaft bearing construction for wind musical instruments,the combination of a bearing post provided with a stem which isrotatably secured to the body of the instrument, said post stem beingprovided with a base portion, a loclging plate secured to the instrumentbody adjacent said post stem base, and a complementary boss and recessconnection between 10 said locking plate and the post stem base portion.

ALLEN LOOMIS.

